dave_snaps

This is not what I would normally post but it was too good not to mention. On the 15th of this month, got to see the World Premiere of "Letters from Iwo Jima". Knew that Clint Eastwood, Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, etc. would be there. Well, having semi-VIP tickets meant that I would get in the red carpet area and see them up close, maybe even shake thier hands or talk to them...so I thought. Time went and went and they, the movie stars, were running late. So I stayed on the red carpet and not one person asked if I had the VIP pass or anything...not even the security guys that passed me over and over and over (they thought I was with a newspaper or magazine with my camera hanging off my neck).

Finally, some old Japanese guy comes up to me and asks "Are you with Asahi Shinbun (Asahi newspaper)?". "NO!" I say. "Are you with....who are you?" he asked. I didn't know how to answer the guy...was I supposed to tell him my name? Maybe, tell him where I'm from? I felt like saying "I'm David! Who the f**k are you?" It was at that time that this less rude American guy (I think he was a main figure in production or something) said "Yeah, you're not supposed to be here unless you have one of these, as he shows me his "Letter's of Iwo Jima" backstage-pass looking deal.

So, I had to move off the red carpet. Instead I got to see the stars come in....from the other side of their vehicles and I got a great view of the back of their heads. I think Clint Eastwood's wife should've fixed his hair before they got out of the van though (personal opinion). Anyway, after thinking about it, if the stars were on time, I would've had the best seat in the house, standing front-row on the red carpet.

Oh, the movie was great by the way!